P D James -- Talking About Detective Fiction

‘TALKING ABOUT DETECTIVE FICTION’

February 2015

P.D. (Phyllis Dorothy) James was born in Oxford, England, on August 3, 1920. She began working as a civil servant at age 16 through marriage and motherhood, and began writing mystery novels in her late 30s. By the time she retired to write full-time, she had become famous as the creator of fictional detective Adam Dalgliesh. James also wrote the novels Children of Men and Death Comes to Pemberley. James died on November 27, 2014 at the age of 94.

Here are some suggestions for more about Mysteries and lists of titles ….

Check NoveList for suggestions by mystery sub-genre and some articles about mysteries (Look in the Professional Tool Box for these.)

Mystery Categories used by NoveList

• By the Book
• Christian Mysteries
• Classic Mysteries
• Cooking Up Crime
• Crafty Crimes
• Fatally Funny
• Getting Cozy
• Gumshoes and Flatfoots
• Historical Mysteries
• Make Mine Hardboiled
• Not Just for Teens: Mysteries
• Paranormal Mysteries
• Police Procedurals

Getting Up to Speed in Mystery (Dec 2013)    Contributed By: Saricks, Joyce                         Summary: Mysteries are puzzles. The author provides clues to the solution but attempts to obscure some information so that the puzzle cannot be solved too easily. Along with the detective, readers are drawn into the puzzle while attempting to solve it.

Getting Up to Speed in Police Procedurals (Aug 2013)  Contributed By: Zellers, Jessica    Summary: A subgenre of the Mystery novel, Police Procedurals follow police officers and their associates as they investigate a crime, typically a murder

A few of many websites …..

Omnimystery: A Family of Mystery Websites.

www.omnimystery.com/

Our websites are committed to providing visitors with the best and most current information about their favorite mystery books, authors, characters, television

Mystery.ComCozy                                                                                                    www.cozy-mystery.com/                                                                                             A guide to Cozy Mystery books, TV, & movies. Chronological lists of books by hundreds of Cozy Mystery authors. Many Cozy Mystery themes & holiday books.

TopMystery: The Best Mystery Books and Movies                                       www.topmystery.com/                                                                                                      Welcome to Topmystery.com - the website about the top mystery books, movies and authors. Use the menu on the top to navigate through the sections of the …

Mystery Net.com: Online mysteries, mystery games, mystery ...

www.mysterynet.com/    and    mysternet.com/authors/ for links to author websites            Mystery Network. Mystery entertainment and information for everyone who likes mysteries                                           

Looking for a Mystery                                  http://www.sldirectory.com/mystery.html                                            Categorized lists

Some Works about Mysteries in PLS ...

From Detective Fiction m Victorian Sleuths to the Present By Alexander, M. Lee (Spoken-word CD - 2010 )   Professor Alexander offers 14 lectures that cover groundbreaking authors from Edgar Allan Poe and Arthur Conan Doyle to Agatha Christie, Ian Fleming, and modern writers such as Nevada Barr and Jonathan Kellerman.

Books to Die for The World's Greatest Mystery Writers on the World's Greatest Mystery Novels (2012)  Mystery authors from twenty countries reveal their favorite mystery novels, in a collection of essays that features contributions from Jo Nesbo, Jeffery Deaver, and Sophie Hannah.

Women of Mystery The Lives and Works of Notable Women Crime Novelists By DuBose, Martha Hailey (2000)  A collection of biographical vignettes focuses on the best female mystery writers in the business, including lawyer Anna Green, Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, P.D. James, Ruth Rendell, Josephine Tey, and Margery Allingham.

The Dashiell Hammett Tour Thirtieth Anniversary Guidebook By Herron, Don  (2000)  Detailing locations of interest, including all of Hammett’s known residences and the majority of settings from The Maltese Falcon, this guidebook contains maps, self-guided tours, and photographs of Hammett-related locations from both then and now.

Philosophies of Crime Fiction By Hoffmann, Josef (2013)  Josef Hoffmann covers influences and inspirations in crime writing with references to a stellar cast of crime writers including Arthur Conan Doyle, G. K. Chesterton, Dashiell Hammett, Albert Camus, Borges, Agatha Christie, Raymond Chandler, and Ted Lewis. Hoffmann examines why crime literature may provide stronger consolation for readers than philosophy

Crimes of the Scene A Mystery Novel Guide for the International Traveler By King, Nina (1997)

An annotated guide to atmospheric mysteries organized by country allows the traveling reader total immersion in the culture, people, and attractions of a place

Big Sleep

Raymond Chandler: The Big Sleep

January 2015

Raymond Chandler (1888-1959), an early student of the hard-boiled detective school, is arguably its most accomplished graduate. More complex than his contemporaries, Chandler's prose is emphatically accomplished -- acerbic and, at the same time, lyrically detailed, stunning in its creation of ambiance. His mysteries, set in the seamy underbelly of sunny California, provide a dark parallel to the glamour of the 1940s and 50s, a gritty world inhabited by brutal men and slickly dangerous dames. Crime is omnipresent, and Chandler's reluctantly romantic protagonists must cling to their decency to keep from drowning in the corruptive morass. Start with: The Big Sleep.

BOOKS

• The Big Sleep ( 1939).
• Farewell, My Lovely ( 1940).
• The High Window ( 1942).
• The Lady in the Lake (, 1943).
• Five Murderers ( 1944).
• Five Sinister Characters ( 1945).
• The Finger Man and Other Stories (, 1947).
• The Little Sister ( 1949).
• The Simple Art of Murder ( 1950).
• The Long Good-Bye ( 1953).
• Playback ( 1958).
• Raymond Chandler Speaking, edited by Dorothy Gardiner and Kathrine Sorley Walker ( 1962).
• Killer in the Rain (1964).
• Chandler Before Marlowe, edited by Matthew J. Bruccoli ( 1973).
• The Blue Dahlia: A Screenplay, edited by Bruccoli ( 1976.
• The Notebooks of Raymond Chandler & English Summer, edited by Frank MacShane (, 1976).
• Raymond Chandler's Unknown Thriller: The Screenplay of Playback (1985).
• Poodle Springs, by Chandler and Robert B. Parker (1989).

PRODUCED SCRIPTS

• Double Indemnity, motion picture, script by Chandler and Billy Wilder, Paramount, 1944.
• And Now Tomorrow, motion picture, script by Chandler, Frank Partos, and Frank Patton, Paramount, 1944.
• The Unseen, motion picture, script by Chandler and Hager Wilde, Paramount, 1945.
• The Blue Dahlia, motion picture, Paramount, 1946.
• The Lady in the Lake, motion picture, script by Chandler (uncredited) and Steve Fisher, M-G-M, 1947.
• Strangers on a Train, motion picture, script by Chandler and Czenzi Ormonde, Warner Bros., 1951.

Biographies:

• Frank MacShane, The Life of Raymond Chandler (New York: Dutton, 1976).
• Tom Hiney, Raymond Chandler: A Biography (New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 1997)
• Tom Williams, A Mysterious Something in the Light; the Life of Raymond Chandler (2013)
• "The life of Raymond Chandler has long been obscured by secrets and half-truths as deceptive as anything in his novel The Long Goodbye. Now, drawing on new interviews, previously unpublished letters, and archives on both sides of the Atlantic, Tom Williams casts a new light on this most mysterious of writers" -- publisher's description.

Read­alikes

1. Estleman, Loren D.

Reason: Loren Estleman and Raymond Chandler both use hardboiled protagonists to do the detecting in their mystery stories: Estleman's Amos Walker is often lauded as a modern day successor to Philip Marlowe, and stylistically, Estleman is recognized as a throwback to the era of Chandler's heyday. ­­  Bethany Latham

2. Grafton, Sue

Reason: Hardboiled detective novels by Sue Grafton may also be of interest, as Chandler is Grafton's classic precursor. Grafton updates Chandler with her loner female investigator, but the two authors have similar tone and atmosphere, as well as the California settings. ­­ Katherine Johnson

3. Harvey, Michael T.

Reason: If you like hardboiled mysteries with a witty undertone, you may like both Michael T. Harvey and Raymond Chandler. Both feature loner detectives who solve crime that brings them into contact with the darkest elements of society. ­­ Rebecca Sigmon

4. Thomas, Ross,

Reason: Though Thomas writes international thrillers as well as mysteries, he shares Chandler's elegant prose style, gripping and intricate plots, keen cynical wit, and vividly evocative characterization of roguish heroes and seedy villains that defy easy distinctions between good and evil. ­­ Derek Keyser

5. Connelly, Michael,

Reason: Michael Connelly may be of interest, as Chandler is Connelly's classic precursor. The two authors have similar tone and atmosphere, as well as the California settings, but their heroes tie them together. Their stoic integrity amidst the squalid seediness of their cities imbues them with pathos and quiet nobility. ­­

Katherine Johnson

6. Hammett, Dashiell, 1894­-1961

Reason: If Dashiell Hammett is the father of "hard­boiled" detection, Raymond Chandler is a son to make him proud ­­ both feature private eyes who seek common criminals in a grittily realistic, 1930s­50s setting. ­­ Bethany Latham

7. Himes, Chester B., 1909-­1984

Reason: Like Chester B. Grimes, Raymond Chandler writes gritty, atmospheric, and tautly written hard­boiled mysteries featuring fast ­paced and twist ­filled plots, violent crimes, and eccentric and shady characters. ­­ Derek Keyser

8. Cain, James M. (James Mallahan), 1892­-1977.Reason: James M. Cain and Raymond Chandler both craft dark tales, film noir­ ready, that feature caustically witty protagonists and dangerous dames against a backdrop of 1940s and 50s California. ­­  Bethany Latham

9. Murakami, Haruki,

Reason: Haruki Murakami's novels employ a straight forward, often terse style that resembles Raymond Chandler's. Moreover, Murakami's characters embark on quests that resemble the assignments Chandler's hardboiled detectives accept, though Murakami employs a magical realist approach to plotting that contrasts with Chandler's realism. Readers of each may enjoy exploring the other. ­­ Katherine Johnson

Hypothermia by Arnaldur Indridason

October 2014

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

Born January 8, 1961, in Reykjavik, Iceland; married; children: three.Education: University of Iceland, B.A., 1996. Addresses: Home: Reykjavik, Iceland.

CAREER:

Journalist and writer. Morgunbladid, Reykjavik, Iceland, journalist, 1981-82, film critic, 1986-2001.

AWARDS:

Glass Key Prize, Crime Writers of Scandinavia, 2001, and 2002, for Jar City, and 2003, for Silence of the Grave; Golden Dagger, Crime Writers Association of Great Britain, 2005, for Silence of the Grave; Martin Beck Award; Caliber Award, Sweden; Prix coeur noir and Mystère de la critique, France; Edda Award for Best Screenplay (with Óskar Jónasson), for Reykjavik-Rotterdam.

CRIME FICTION

• Napoleonsskjolin, Vaka-Helgafell (Reykjavik, Iceland), 1999 translation by Victoria Cribb published as Operation Napoleon, Minotaur Books (New York, NY), 2011.
• Betty, Vaka-Helgafell (Reykjavik, Iceland), 2003.
• Konungsbók (title means "The King's Book"), Vaka-Helgafell (Reykjavik, Iceland), 2006.

OTHER

• Reykjavik-Rotterdam (screenplay), Harvill Secker (London, England), 2008.

Erlendur Sveinsson mysteries (Most Recent: Aug 2014)

The cynical, solitary, chain-smoking curmudgeon Inspector Erlunder Sveinsson is the heart of Arnaldur Indridason's series of crime novels. Erlunder's wry philosophies, shrewd observations, and complicated relationships with his children make him a fascinating hero. But the Erlunder Sveinsson mysteries are far more than character studies: they are sophisticated police procedural novels with layered stories, unexpected plot twists, and detailed crime investigations. Set in a darkly atmospheric Iceland, the books explore the violence and loneliness of an isolated culture. Start with: Jar City.

Alternate series name: Inspector Erlendur series

Alternate series name: Reykjavik murder mysteries

The numbering of this series differs from the author's since several titles in this series have not been translated into English.

1]  Jar city (Oct 2005)

2]  Silence of the grave (Jan 2005)

3]  Voices (Jan 2003)

4]  The draining lake (Aug 2007)

5]  Arctic chill (Jan 2008)

6]  Hypothermia (Oct 2009)

7]  Outrage (Sep 2012)

8]  Black skies (Jul 2012)

9]  Strange shores: an Inspector Erlendur novel (Aug 2014)

MEDIA ADAPTATIONS:

Jar City was adapted as a film by Baltasar Kormákur. Arnaldur's books have been translated into at least twenty-one languages.

Read-alikes

1.	Kurt Wallander mysteries Mankell, Henning, 1948- Reason:  The Kurt Wallander and Erlendur Sveinsson Mysteries are bleak series with a strong sense of place that feature lonely detectives whose dedication to the job often hurts their personal lives and relationships, as both men have distant daughters and ex-wives. -- Rebecca Sigmon
2.	Gunnhildur Gisladottir mysteries Bates, Quentin Reason:  These Icelandic series, Erlendur Sveinsson and Gunnhildur Gisladottis mysteries, feature complex, no-nonsense police detectives who have to deal with a changing society with dark and complex problems. These police procedurals have twisty plots and a strong sense of place. -- Merle Jacob
3.	Inspector John Rebus mysteries Rankin, Ian Reason:  The Inspector John Rebus and Erlendur Sveinsson Mysteries are bleak series that feature lonely detectives whose dedication to the job often hurts their personal lives and relationships. The gray landscape reflects the mood of the book and of the detectives. -- Rebecca Sigmon
4.	Thora Gudmundsdottir novels Yrsa Sigurdardottir Reason:  In a slight change from police or detective mysteries, Thora is an Icelandic attorney who becomes involved in criminal investigations.